Mykhailo Zabrodskyi


Mykhailo Vitaliyovych Zabrodskyi is the commander of the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces, a lieutenant general, and a Hero of Ukraine.
He commanded the 95th Airmobile Brigade during the War in Donbass, during which it conducted a 470 kilometer raid, 170 kilometers into Russian and separatist-held territory.

Early life

Zabrodskyi was born on 24 January 1973 in Dnipropetrovsk, the son of an officer. He graduated from the A.F. Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy in Saint Petersburg and served for five years in the Russian Armed Forces before returning to Ukraine. There, Zabrodskyi became an anti-tank missile platoon commander in the 95th Separate Airmobile Brigade. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College.

Military career

Born in military family from Dnipropetrovsk. In 1989 graduated from high school. From 1989 to 1994 he received military education in St. Petersburg - the Military Space Academy named after O. Mozhaisky, after which he served for five years in military service under the contract in the Russian Federation. After returning to Ukraine he began serving in the 95th separate airmobile brigade as platoon commander.
In 2005-2006, he was a student at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Freely speaks English.
In summer of 2014, 95th brigade commanded by Zabrodsky carried out raid in rear of enemy. Within two weeks, performing combat missions, Zabrodsky's crew passed 470 km from Sloviansk to Mariupol, then along the Russian-Ukrainian border, and through Luhansk returned to Sloviansk. According to American military expert Philip A. Karber, this was the longest raid of armed formation in latest history.
On August 24, 2014, he commanded combined parade battalion of ATO participants at Parade on Independence Day.
On 1 August 2015, he was promoted to Major general.
On November 9, 2017 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko informed on his page in social network Facebook that Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhaylo Zabrodsky, was appointed new commander of the antiterrorist forces. Simultaneously with new appointment, during the course of one of the largest rotations in the ATO zone, several brigades of the SSW, including the 25th Airborne and 79th Airborne Assault, entered the collision line.

Political career

On 29 September 2015 Zabrodskyi was registered as the first candidate for a seat in the Zhytomyr Oblast Council, affiliated with the Petro Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity". He was elected to a five-year term as a deputy to the Seventh Convocation of the council on 25 October of that year, and serves as a member of the standing committee on regulation, deputy activity, local government, legality, law enforcement, and anti-corruption activities.
In the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election Zabrodskyi was placed fourth on the party list of European Solidarity. He was elected to parliament.

Personal life

Zabrodskyi speaks English fluently.